WASHINGTON WEB OF LIFE: Pictures worth a thousand words

* A well-known Jefferson County photographer is featured in a Port Hadlock exhibit.

Water and sky merge in a streak of purple-blue haze which extends to the western horizon. The evening sun, peeking out of the darkness, reflects off the black water.

This photograph of pristine Willapa Bay is one of 27 photos in Washington's Web of Life exhibit. It features the camera work of native son Keith Lazelle, a resident of Dabob Bay near Quilcene.

The photos are on display through March 19 at the Hadlock branch of the Jefferson County Library.

"This exhibit will appeal to people who are interested in natural history as well as those who appreciate fine art." said Meredith Wagner, the library's public services coordinator.

Lazelle took the photos at nature preserves throughout the state, capturing the diverse habitats and wildlife of each area.

Both grandiose American landscapes and simple Asian aesthetics inspire and shape his images.

Asian art forms have heavily influenced Lazelle's work. In particular, Japanese painting, philosophy and poetry have led to a deep appreciation for nature and the concept of gesture - freezing a defining moment.

"What I'm trying to do in that moment is find something extra, a gesture," Lazelle said. "It's kind of like tasting a good wine. It's hard to describe, but something that one must experience to understand."

One of Lazelle's earliest influences was Dennis Stock's book "A Haiku Journey." It follows the path of 17th-century Japanese poet Matsuo Basho by means of a photo tour of the places the national bard wrote about.

A 1976 graduate of Linfield College in Oregon with a degree in literature and philosophy, Lazelle has been taking snapshots of the natural world for more than 15 years.

After college, Lazelle worked for the U.S. Forest Service on the Olympic Peninsula. There, he learned to take pictures with an Instamatic camera.

Frustrated with his results, Lazelle began to spend more time behind the camera lens. During that period, he met his wife, Jane Hall, another Forest Service worker. While Lazelle honed his craft, Hall worked full-time as a social worker to support them both.

As the photographer's stature and the demand for his work increased, Hall eventually quit her day job and became Lazelle's full-time agent.

Preferring to work alone, Lazelle carries all of his own gear into the wilderness. He uses lightweight 35 mm camera equipment which allows both for mobility and low environmental impact.

"When you're with other people, you end up talking," he said. "I like to quiet my mind and let nature do the talking."

He tries to go out once a month, or about a third of the year, to scout sites and shoot photos.

His next photo shoot will be in La Paz, Mexico, on the Baja Peninsula for Alaska Airlines. Afterwards, he will give a six-day photography workshop.

For the weekend amateur taking pictures in the wilderness, Lazelle offers this advice:

"When you're out there, be receptive to what you see, listen to or observe. Early on, binoculars and magnifying glasses will help you to really learn about nature.

"Learn to be patient. The time scale in nature is much slower than the human time scale."

Lazelle has been the primary photographer for The Nature Conservancy of Washington, documenting its nature preserves statewide since 1991.

The Nature Conservancy of Washington and the Burke Museum of Natural History of Seattle sponsored the Web of Life exhibit, which is sponsored locally by the county library.

After making its debut at the Burke Museum in Seattle, the exhibit stopped in Richland before coming to Port Hadlock. It will make a fourth stop in Olympia on its three-year tour throughout the state.

The National Conservancy is a nonprofit conservation organization committed to preserving biological diversity. Managing a system of 1,300 nature preserves nationwide, including 32 here in Washington, the Conservancy owns and has protected more than 130,000 acres of ecologically significant land.

"Photos are one of the best ways for people to get excited about what we do," said Curt Soper, director of conservation programs for the Conservancy.

Reach reporter Eric Williams at (360)792-8566 or at ewilliams@thesunlink.com.

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